Homemade Cheesy Skillet Meatballs in Arrabbiata Sauce

April 20, 2016

Who says homemade recipes have to take forever? Who says gluten-free has to mean taste free? I challenge anyone who makes this recipe to tell me that the missing gluten changes how amazing these are. These homemade cheesy skillet meatballs take less than 30 minutes to make, require one pan, and strongly remind me of my pre GF days at Portillo’s. Whip these up for a Friday night dinner party, or a Sunday afternoon game, they’ll definitely impress!

*Depending on the amount you want to make, all these proportions can be eyeballed. You want enough panko and egg to allow the meatballs to stick together, but if you want to add or subtract cheese, parsley, or salt, be my guest. Not a fan of the meatball meats? You can use 1/2 turkey or chicken, but I recommend at least 1/2 beef for a true Italian meatball.Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 F

Combine all ingredients into a bowl. Remove all jewelry and wash hands, then… squish! Get in there, and once all combined, start to form your meatballs. I got about 15 meatballs out of my mix.Place your formed meatballs on a plate and heat a large skillet with some olive oil over medium heat.Place your meatballs into the oil to brown. I stood over the skillet and turned these suckers pretty constantly to avoid burned edges, but I really could’ve left them. They need about 3 minutes per side. Don’t worry about the insides- as they’ll go into the oven later. Once they’re browned and somewhat firm, pull them out of the oil.They will have shrunk a little, so you’ll probably be able to get them all onto one plate. I had to brown mine in two batches.Once you’ve browned all your meatballs, drain the oil/fat and pour your arrabbiata sauce into the bottom of the skillet. Place your meatballs back into the skillet and give ’em a nice sauce bath. You want them coated but not drowning.Top with your shredded cheese blend (be generous here, you deserve it).Then pop the skillet into the oven and let the cheese melt. This shouldn’t take long, maybe 10 minutes. Once the cheese has melted, pull the skillet out and top with the remaining fresh parsley. You’re going to want to serve these beauties immediately- I recommend spooning them out individually, making sure to snag as much gooey cheese as possible. These meatballs are rich and flavorful. The arrabbiata sauce adds a nice zing, and the parsley keeps them fresh.I found this recipe on Facebook from a Delish video, and modified it to make it gluten-free. As you can see Brett and I made a dinner out of appetizers one night, pairing this dish with homemade nachos and guacamole. It was surprisingly wonderful.

If you wanted to stick with an Italian spread, these meatballs would go wonderfully with prosciutto and melon, bruschetta, or even a pesto pasta salad. The pastabilities are endless, if you get what I’m sayin’!

If you make this recipe, let me know! And as always, feel free to share and pin this post, and subscribe for free to my blog via email so that you’re first to see my new posts.